Ikezawa hesitated for a long time, finally resolving to complete the Newbie Quest after finishing his meal.
How could he fail even this simplest task with the System? He was determined to enjoy its benefits!
Or, more accurately, could anyone truly resist the System's temptations?
With that thought, Ikezawa turned to Lü Heng and asked, "Do you guys have any plans tonight? Want to come over to my place and play some games? It's pretty spacious."
The Bureau of Anomalous Investigations had assigned Ikezawa's apartment, and Lü Heng himself had been in charge of the assignment. It was just a small, ordinary place—how could Lü Heng not know its size?
Lü Heng scratched his head. "I'm free, but... that's kind of a weird way to put it. Besides, didn't you just move in? You don't even have a computer or game console. What would we play?"
Ikezawa froze, wondering if the "Bro, don't!" meme didn't exist in this world. How else could Lü Heng miss his insinuation?
Having already committed, Ikezawa swallowed his embarrassment and pressed on. "Even without a computer or console, I at least have a TV. We could connect our phones and watch a movie together, right?"
Ikezawa had actually done this before. When his parents were out of town, he'd invite three or four friends over, and at midnight, they'd all cram into the living room to watch a horror movie together. It was always a fun time.
But Invincible Bro asked, "Didn't we just finish watching a movie?"
"Uh..." Ikezawa's mind raced. "Exactly! Now's the perfect time for a comedy or another horror flick to shake off the sadness from The Final Lesson."
Invincible Bro pondered for a moment. "That makes sense. Alright, I'm in."
Li perked up her ears. "What's this? What are you guys planning? I want in too, meow!"
Seeing this, Ikezawa's heart sank. With so many people around, how was he supposed to... seduce Lü Heng? But he couldn't just kick Invincible Bro and Li out now. He had no good reason to.
In the end, the group of four (or five, if you counted Li) arrived at Ikezawa's house. It's worth noting that Li had her own apartment next door; she didn't live with Ikezawa.
After fiddling with the TV for ages, Ikezawa finally got it working. He randomly picked a recent comedy that none of them had seen and that had decent reviews. Invincible Bro had bought snacks on the way—chips, cola, and the like—and they spread everything out on the table, munching and watching the movie.
Time slipped by, and as the second movie reached its midpoint, Ikezawa still hadn't found a suitable opportunity to make his move. Finally, when Lü Heng got up to use the restroom, Ikezawa saw his chance and hurriedly followed.
Lü Heng had barely closed the bathroom door when Ikezawa's hand landed on the handle, twisting it open.
"Wait! I'm in here! Hold on!" Lü Heng called out.
Any normal person would have waited outside, and Lü Heng naturally assumed Ikezawa would do the same. But the next moment, Ikezawa pushed the door open and barged in.
The small bathroom suddenly felt cramped with two people inside. Lü Heng, who still had his hand on his pants, frozen mid-undone, stared at Ikezawa in shock. "Seriously? What's the rush?" he asked.
Ikezawa, however, maintained a solemn expression, his gaze fixed on Lü Heng as he asked bluntly, "What kind of guys do you like?"
Some say moderate exercise attracts women, while excessive exercise attracts men. Others claim gay men prefer delicate, slender types. Ikezawa, being straight, knew nothing of these nuances. He had no idea what kind of guy Lü Heng liked, and therefore no way to transform himself into his ideal type.
After a moment's thought, Ikezawa decided it was better to be direct than to keep guessing.
Upon hearing this, Lü Heng's brain short-circuited. His face went blank with shock, and he stammered, "Wh-what the hell?"
Ikezawa assumed this was just a facade. "Stop pretending," he said. "I know everything. You're gay. To be honest, I am too. And the moment I saw you, I..."
Before he could finish, Lü Heng burst out, "Holy shit! You're fucking gay?!"
Clutching his pants tightly, Lü Heng stumbled back two steps in terror, retreating into the corner of the bathroom.
Seeing this, Ikezawa frowned. "Is this act really necessary? I already know you confessed to Invincible Bro..."
After all, the information about Lü Heng being gay had come directly from the System as a prerequisite for completing the Newbie Quest, and there was video evidence to back it up. Ikezawa had never doubted it for a moment. Reassuring him with "Don't be scared," he began closing the distance between them.
In this moment of extreme crisis, Lü Heng's brain raced, a surge of inspiration born from desperation. He realized the truth and roared, "Damn it! You've been tricked! Sparkle! I know you're nearby—you're behind this, aren't you?!"
Earlier, Ikezawa had constantly posted photos of Li and Lingsha in the group chat, and he'd mentioned his fondness for Robin. How could he possibly be gay? Combined with his recent confession about confessing to Invincible Bro, the truth wasn't hard to piece together.
Ikezawa froze, stunned. "Who? Sparkle?!"
The next instant, a system notification popped up before him:
[Ding~ You caught me~ Sigh~ What a shame~]
The text slowly twisted and warped until it transformed into an image of Sparkle sticking out her tongue in a playful grimace.
[Nyah~ It was all just a joke~]
A burst of maniacal laughter erupted behind him. Like a malfunctioning machine, Ikezawa slowly swiveled his neck to look behind him. Outside the bathroom, he saw an incredibly cute girl lying on the floor, clutching her stomach. Her slender legs kicked wildly in the air as she laughed.
Though her clothes weren't Sparkle's usual attire from the game, Ikezawa immediately recognized her. It was Sparkle!
After laughing for a while, Sparkle slowly sat up, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. "I didn't expect you to be so straightforward with your confession," she said. "I thought you'd try to win him over for a while first."
"It ended a little too quickly," she added with a hint of regret. "It's a bit of a shame."
This was entirely due to Ikezawa's unwavering trust in the System. He harbored no doubts whatsoever. If everything the System said was true, being direct in this situation was indeed the optimal choice.
Meanwhile, Invincible Bro and Li, who had been in the living room, rushed over upon hearing the commotion. Invincible Bro glanced at Sparkle, then peered into the bathroom, his face twisting into a helpless expression. Li, on the other hand, tilted her head curiously, completely unaware of what had transpired.